S&W grips........

[Bob Wright]

I stopped by a local pawn shop today and browsed some, just seeing what's out there.

One thing I noticed in one case was a row of vintage S& W Military & Police revovlers, as well as some K-38 Combat Masterpieces. Some were obviously nickel plated after the factory job, all were in somewhat worn condition. But all were stocked with the S&W target grips, though none of these would have come from the factory with them.

These grips were apparently walnut, oil finished, with the S&W medallion, and checkered. They looked better than the grips on new guns, no high sheen finish, nicely checkered, dark walnut. I thought to myself it would be worth buying the revolvers just for the grips. I have not seen such grips in nearly fifty years.

Where on Earth did these grips come from? They're vintage, I'm sure.

Bob Wright

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Bob,
Which pawn shop?
Sounds like the guns wer police trade ins.

 

[Venom1956]

I've seen alot of pawn shops that have taken off the grips that the gun came with and put on some junky Chinese plastic knock offs. then keep the originals to sell later or use on another gun.

I'd venture he had a bunch of beater S&W plated and tossed those he kept over the years on them so they looked nice.

 

[Winchester_73]

Bob

When you say "all were stocked with the S&W target grips, though none of these would have come from the factory with them" do you mean to say the guns were early and the grips were late, or the guns were late and the grips were early? If you instead mean that target grips were not on those guns, that is incorrect. Target grips were available as an option for any square butt K frame revolver.

As for the pecking order of these K frame grips: I would say the best to find would be unrelieved smooth presentation stocks. Some people call those target stocks, although thats really not what they are. Those were often on special order guns. After those, diamond unrelieved target stocks are the hardest to find. S&W started relieving their target grips around 1953. After them, diamond targets are good. IMO K unrelieved targets are worth $150 to maybe $200, and K diamond targets approx $100. I have bought guns for grips before but you have to be careful doing that, because its easy to lose trying to do that IE the grips are damaged, or the gun has a problem, the grips were modified, etc.

 

[Bob Wright]

The guns were noticed yesterday at Guns and Ammo gun shop, and across the stree at Accent Pawn and Jewelry. Don't think police trade-ins, as the HB Model 10 was the latest MPD revolver. And these looked pre-War (I'm guessing) while the grips looked ca. 1950. Those I noticed were not relieved, some were on the wrong side to tell.

Again, the grips just didn't look as old as the guns. Further, the nickel was fairly old, getting that "brassy" look about it, some guns showing flaking. Since I wasn't interested in the guns, just gave them a casual look.

Bob Wright

 

[Winchester_73]

When I said "any square butt K frame revolver" I meant any POST WAR K frame. The pre war years had a target grip option, but they were not wrap around.

If pre war, there will be no serial number letter prefix, large ejector rod head (has relief cutout in bottom of barrel) and one line address "MADE IN USA". If M&Ps and pre war, they will also have a half moon front sight although there were some early post war M&Ps with the half moon. If any of these are pre war, then you are right, that they would not have had target grips. In my previous post, I was referring to the guns you called "K-38 combat masterpieces" aka pre model 15s, which only arrived after WWII. Those could have had target grips. The pre war M&P optional target grip type was the diamond magna, with cut checkering. After WWII, the magna grip became standard for K and N frames, with wrap around target and presentation stocks as extra cost options.

I think HB model 10s came out much later than the 50s, but I could be wrong.

Those non-relieved grips are hard to find. I don't have a pair in my grip collection (ya thats right, thats how sick I am, I even collect grips, boxes and other accessories!) I guess it all depends. Even if shooters, the guns have shooter value. As for the nickel flaking and having a brassy look, that is most common for re-nickel guns. Most often a quality nickel finish does not flake although it can for various reasons.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

I meant they are probably police trade ins that were bought from a wholesaler. Sarco and other wholesalers end up with lots of trade ins from around the country.